Drone footage has shown the devastation caused by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Haiti, which has so far caused the deaths of 1,297 people, and injured 5,700
The quake, which occurred roughly 125 km (78 miles) west of Port-au-Prince on Saturday, triggered landslides and the total collapse of two communities. Several aftershocks have also been felt.
Around 7,000 homes were destroyed and nearly 5,000 damaged, including hospitals, schools, offices and churches in what is the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
Footage taken from above on Sunday showed structures turned to rubble, and swathes of towns such as Les Caynes, on the Haitian coast, almost turned to dust.
Three people have died in recent floods in Meta Department, Colombia, while Civil Defence reported flooding and landslides in 7 departments across the country over the last 2 weeks.
Flooding has affected the municipalities of El Dorado, Mapiripán, Villavicencio and Acacías in Meta Department from 10 August 2021. Civil Defence said 3 people lost their lives in floods in Acacías, while around 80 people were affected in Mapiripán.
The last 2 weeks has seen flooding or landslides in 7 departments across the country, affecting around 5,000 people.
Date & time: 16 Aug 2021 11:10:36 UTC
Local time at epicenter: Monday, 16 Aug 2021 9:10 am (GMT -2)
Magnitude: 6.9 Depth: 10.0 km Epicenter latitude / longitude: 58.45°S / 23.42°W (South Atlantic Ocean, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands)
The fire in Navalcruz is reported to be the worst in Spain so far this year
The record high temperatures in Spain over the weekend of August 14 and 15 have been accompanied by a series of wildfires affecting various parts of the country, the worst of them affecting over 10,000 hectares of land in and around Navalacruz in the province of Ávila (Castlila y León).
Serious fires have also been keeping emergency services busy in Madrid, Castellón and numerous other provinces, but the one which broke out on Saturday morning alongside the N-502 in Navalacruz is by some distance the most extensive and is threatening forest land and livestock as well as villages and towns. Over 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in the municipalities of Riofrío, Sotalbo, Solosancho, Sobledillo and Villaviciosa and are being housed temporarily in public buildings and pavilions made available by the Town Hall of Ávila.
Yet more wildfires broke out in Greece Monday, with two blazes triggering evacuation alerts for settlements to the southeast and northwest of the Greek capital.
Fanned by strong winds, the first blaze, which broke out Monday morning in the Keratea region southeast of Athens quickly burned through shrubland and was headed toward a national park in the Sounion area.
Three settlements in the area were ordered evacuated, while the fire department sent dozens of firefighters, as well as six water-dropping planes and four helicopters. Local officials appealed to people not to approach the area.
On the other side of the capital to the northwest, another blaze broke out in the Vilia area just after noon, triggering an evacuation alert of another three settlements. Strong winds were predicted to last until at least the evening, potentially hampering the firefighting effort.
The sky appeared filled with clouds of smoke following a large forest fire near Beit Meir, western Jerusalem, on Sunday.
Aeroplanes could be seen flying overhead, dumping loads of fire retardant in efforts to quench the blaze, which was exacerbated by high temperatures and strong winds.
More than 2,000 nearby residents have reportedly been evacuated, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett telling security forces to evacuate communities without question, regardless of any doubts they may have.
Humanitarian organisations in Somalia report that flooding along the Shabelle River has forced thousands of families from their homes. Two young children reportedly died in the floods.
Non-governmental organization African Relief & Development (ARD-AFRICAN) reported flooding along the Shabelle River in areas between Jowhar and Balcad in Middle Shabelle region from 11 August 2021.
Several villages have been affected including Boodaale, where 2 children reportedly died and over 500 families moved from their homes to higher ground. Other villages along the river, including Xawaadleey, were also affected. A estimated total of 2,000 families have been displaced and 400 hectares of crops destroyed, ARD-AFRICAN said.
As of 15 August 2021, the Shabelle River at the measuring station in Jowhar was above moderate risk level (5 metres) standing at 5.10 metres, its highest level so far this year. High risk level here is 5.25 metres. The river has increased steadily over the last 3 weeks since levels fell in June and July. As of 27 July levels stood at just 2.5 metres.
One month after floods and landslides killed six in Turkey's Black Sea region, heavy precipitation took hold in the region's central parts on Tuesday and Wednesday. A woman went missing in Bartın, one of the provinces hit worst by rainfall that triggered floods on Tuesday. Floods were also reported in Karabük and Kastamonu provinces.
In Bartın, floodwaters inundated a large number of houses and businesses, sweeping away vehicles after severe precipitation late on Tuesday. The heaviest damage was in Ulus district. Part of a road connecting the province to Karabük collapsed while bulldozers waded through floodwaters to save 20 people trapped in their houses. Search and rescue crews were deployed to the flood-hit areas. The province's governor Sinan Güner told reporters that they started receiving first reports of flood damage and stranded people around 3:00 a.m. He was speaking to reporters on Wednesday on a road closed due to landslides. "We rescued people stranded in their houses near river beds. Our crews also saved people trapped in their cars," he said. Güner said that an elderly woman went missing in Akören Söküler village after her wooden house had almost collapsed due to floods that carried her away. "There are many bridges, roads to villages and houses collapsed in the region," he lamented. The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) announced that 13 people were injured due to the collapse of a bridge on a road connecting Bartın and Karabük provinces.
Comment: Update 12 August 2021
Euronews reports that the death toll has risen to 17.
Bianet.org reports on some of the local rainfall numbers:
Precipitation on August 11-12
According to the reports of the General Directorate of Meteorology, on August 11, 2021, the amount of precipitation received by districts was as follows: Bartın Ulus - 90 mm; Kastamonu Küre - 198 mm,Pınarbaşı - 167 mm, Azdavay - 145 mm, İnebolu - 123 mm, Abana - 122 mm, Bozkurt - 117 mm; Sinop Merkez - 104,6 kg, Ayancık - 301,03 kg, Boyabat - 76,6 mm, Dikmen - 54 mm, Erfelek - 78,6 mm, Gerze - 72,4 mm, Merkez - 83,8 mm, Türkeli - 223,23 kg. The heavy rainfall is expected to subside in the region as of 6 pm today (August 12).
At least 44 people died from disastrous floods and mudslides in northern Turkey, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said Saturday.
Torrential rains that pounded the Black Sea provinces of Bartın, Kastamonu and Sinop on Wednesday caused flooding that demolished homes, severed at least five bridges, swept away cars and rendered numerous roads unpassable. AFAD said 36 people were killed in Kastamonu, seven in Sinop and one in Bartın.
Nine people remained hospitalized in Sinop, and one person was missing in Bartın province, according to the agency.
Rescue teams and sniffer dogs continued the painstaking task of trying to locate residents. AFAD said 5,188 personnel, 27 rescue dogs, 19 helicopters and two search planes were at the disaster spots.
About 2,250 people were evacuated across the region, some lifted from rooftops by helicopters, and many were being temporarily housed in student dormitories, authorities said.
Death toll from northern Turkey floods rises to 58
Flash floods that have swept through towns in the Turkish Black Sea region have killed 58 people, authorities said on Sunday, in the second natural disaster to strike Turkey this month.
The floods brought chaos to northern provinces just as authorities were declaring wildfires had been brought under control after raging through southern coastal regions for two weeks.
Forty-eight people died as a result of floods in Kastamonu province, another nine people died in Sinop and one in Bartin, the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said.
Drone footage by Reuters showed massive damage in the town of Bozkurt in Kastamonu province. Emergency workers were searching demolished buildings for the missing.
Torrents of water tossed dozens of cars and heaps of debris along streets, destroyed buildings and bridges closed roads, and cut off electricity to hundreds of villages.
More than 2,000 people were evacuated from affected areas, some with the help of helicopters and boats, the AFAD said.
So preserve yourselves, my brothers, from the calamities of this place, for distinguishing it is extremely difficult! Souls find it sweet, and then within it they are duped, since they become completely enamored of it.
- Sufi proverb
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Comment: Update 12 August 2021
Euronews reports that the death toll has risen to 17.
Bianet.org reports on some of the local rainfall numbers: Update2 August 14: The Daily Sabah carries this AP report: Update3 August 15: Reuters reports: Here is a report on the deluges that hit northern Turkey last month: Floods and landslides hit Turkey's Black Sea region for second week in a row